- The increase in urbanization rate has led to a decrease in the number of permanent residents in rural areas, and a decrease in the number of village clinics113%
-The urbanization rate increased by 1786 percentage points to promote the development of rural medical care
- The service capacity of traditional Chinese medicine has been continuously improved, and the proportion of traditional Chinese medicine services in township health centers has increased by 334%
With the acceleration of urbanization in China, the role of rural medical care in rural revitalization has gradually become prominent. In 2024, the first document of the Communist Party of China "Opinions on Learning and Using the Experience of the "Thousand Village Demonstration and Ten Thousand Village Renovation" Project to Effectively and Effectively Promote the Comprehensive Revitalization of Rural Areas was released, which put forward a "road map" for effectively and effectively promoting the comprehensive revitalization of rural areas, especially emphasizing the importance of rural medical care. This article will go deep into the current situation and development trend of rural medical care in China, and analyze the key role of rural medical care in rural revitalization.
In the context of China's urbanization process, rural medical resources are facing certain challenges. According to statistics, China's urbanization rate is increasing at a rate of one percentage point per year, and in 2023, the proportion of urban population in the national population (urbanization rate) will be 6616%, an increase of 094 percentage points. However, with the advancement of urbanization, the number of permanent residents in rural areas has gradually decreased, and from 2012 to 2023, the rural population has decreased by 14.04 million. This population movement and reduction has had a certain impact on rural medical resources.
Data shows that the number of village clinics in China has increased from 66 in 201130,000 decreased to 58 in 202280,000, which means that the number of village clinics has decreased by 7 in the last 11 years50,000, a decrease of 113%。This decrease is mainly due to the decline in rural population and the impact of urbanization. However, Document No. 1 puts forward the important task of strengthening the service capacity building of township health centers and village clinics, which shows that the development of rural medical care is still a key area of attention.
In addition to the supply of medical resources, the efficiency of medical services is also one of the focuses of attention. In recent years, the utilization rate of hospital beds at all levels in medical institutions in China has generally declined. In addition to the impact of the epidemic, this phenomenon is also related to the development of medical institutions at different levels. The decline in bed occupancy in large hospitals may be related to the expansion of hospitals, resulting in a significant increase in the number of beds. The decline in bed occupancy in primary medical institutions may be due to the "siphon effect" of large hospitals, which makes patients more willing to go to large hospitals for treatment. However, with the acceleration of the construction of a close-knit county-level medical community, the bed utilization rate of primary medical institutions is expected to improve.
On the other hand, the number of visits to township health centers is increasing year by year. From September 2012700 million passengers, an increase of 12100 million visits, which shows that township health centers play an important role in providing basic medical services. At the same time, the proportion of the number of diagnosis and treatment in township health centers in the total number of diagnosis and treatment in all medical institutions in the country has also gradually increased, from 1343% increased to 1437%, an increase of 094 percentage points. This data reflects the important position and contribution of township health centers in medical services in rural areas.
In recent years, China's TCM industry has flourished, and the service capacity of TCM in rural areas has also been continuously improved. The proportion of TCM services provided in township health centers has increased year by year, from 60% in 2012 to 99% in 20224%, which indicates that the position of traditional Chinese medicine in rural medicine has been further consolidated and improved. At the same time, the proportion of TCM services in village clinics has also shown a significant growth trend, from 32 in 20124% increased to 81 in 20222 per cent, an increase of 49 percentage points.
The role of traditional Chinese medicine in rural medicine cannot be ignored. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has a unique theoretical system and curative effects, and plays an important role in providing basic medical services, disease prevention and control, and health care for rural patients. Medical resources in rural areas are limited, and the application of traditional Chinese medicine can effectively fill the shortage of existing medical resources, provide comprehensive and comprehensive health care services, and meet the diverse medical needs of rural residents.
*The issuance of Document No. 1 clearly puts forward the important tasks and roles of rural medical care in rural revitalization. Rural revitalization is a major task facing China, and rural medical care is an indispensable and important part of achieving the goal of rural revitalization. The development of rural medical care is not only related to the health and well-being of rural residents, but also related to the economic and social development of rural areas.
First, rural health care plays a key role in preventing a return to poverty due to illness. Poverty caused by illness is more common among the rural poor, and the improvement and development of rural medical care can effectively improve the health status of rural residents and reduce the risk of poverty due to illness. Strengthening the service capacity of township and village clinics and improving the level and quality of rural medical services are of great significance to prevent people from falling back into poverty due to illness.
Secondly, rural medical care can promote the development of rural economy and society. The improvement of rural medical care can not only improve the health status of rural residents, but also attract urban population to return and rural population to stay in rural areas for employment, and promote rural industrial development and economic growth. The development of rural medical care can also drive the prosperity of related industries, such as the cultivation of Chinese medicinal materials and the traditional Chinese medicine industry, providing new growth points and driving forces for the development of rural economy.
Finally, the development of rural medical care can improve the overall social civilization quality of rural areas. Rural health care is not only a place to provide medical services, but also a platform to disseminate good hygiene habits and health knowledge. By strengthening public health education and health promotion, rural medical care can improve the health awareness and health literacy of rural residents, and promote the civilized progress and development of the entire rural society.
To sum up, rural medical care plays an important role in rural revitalization. By strengthening the service capacity building of township health centers and village clinics, improving the level and quality of medical services, and promoting the application of traditional Chinese medicine in rural medical care, the health level of rural residents can be effectively improved, the return to poverty due to illness can be effectively improved, the economic and social development of rural areas can be promoted, and the overall social civilization quality of rural areas can be improved. The development of rural medical care not only needs the support and investment of the first party, but also the joint efforts and cooperation of all parties to jointly promote the goal of comprehensive rural revitalization.